1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing liquid supply mechanism and an inkjet printer including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, inkjet printers for performing printing by an inkjet method are known. Such an inkjet printer, for example, has an overall operation thereof controlled by a microcomputer and performs printing on a recording paper sheet supplied from a paper feeding device. The inkjet printer includes an ink head for ejecting ink. The ink head is structured to move above the recording paper sheet in a width direction of the recording paper sheet. In this specification, the width direction of a medium such as a recording paper sheet or the like will be referred to as a “main scanning direction”. A direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction will be referred to as a “sub scanning direction”. The ink head has a plurality of inkjet nozzles formed therein. An inkjet nozzle is an ejection orifice for ejecting ink toward the recording paper sheet.
The inkjet printer includes a cleaning unit for cleaning the ink head. The cleaning unit includes, for example, a cap for capping a portion of the ink head that has the inkjet nozzles formed therein and a wiper for wiping a bottom surface of the ink head.
The cap protects the inkjet nozzles. The cap also recovers the ejected ink in order to solve the problem that the inkjet nozzles are clogged. The ink recovered by the cap is discharged to a waste liquid tank or the like connected to the cap. The cap is washed with a washing liquid periodically supplied thereto. The inkjet printer includes a washing liquid supply mechanism for supplying the washing liquid to the cap. After being used, the washing liquid is discharged to the waste liquid tank.
The wiper wipes the bottom surface of the ink head to remove substances attached to the bottom surface thereof. The substances removed from the ink head are attached to the wiper. The wiper is immersed in a washing liquid tub and washed with a washing liquid stored therein. When the amount of the washing liquid in the washing liquid tub is decreased, the washing liquid tub is replenished with the washing liquid so that the amount of the washing liquid in the washing liquid tub is kept constant. For supplying the washing liquid to the washing liquid tub, the inkjet printer includes another washing liquid supply mechanism.
Thus, the conventional inkjet printer needs to have two washing liquid supply mechanisms for supplying a washing liquid.